GM Dials Up More Wind Power in Michigan
At this point, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 terawatt hours of clean energy power in North America, equivalent to the power consumed by more than 145,000 U.S. households.
General Motors recently announced it has partnered with Detroit-based energy company DTE Energy for 300,000 megawatt hours of wind energy in the state of Michigan. When complete, the energy sourced will be enough to power 100 percent of the electricity needs of GM's global technical center in Warren and its Detroit-based operations at the Renaissance Center. The 300,000 MWh are equivalent to the amount of power consumed by nearly 30,000 U.S. households per year.
At this point, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 terawatt hours of clean energy power in North America, equivalent to more than 145,000 households, according to the company's news release, which says GM will source the wind power through an agreement with DTE Energy's MIGreenPower, a renewable energy program that enables DTE customers to attribute up to 100 percent of their energy use to DTE clean energy projects in Michigan. In January 2019, DTE received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission to offer a MIGreenPower program designed for major Michigan corporations and industrial companies that want access to more renewable energy to meet corporate sustainability goals.
"Investing in renewable energy remains an important part of GM's vision for a zero emissions future," said Rob Threlkeld, global manager of Sustainable Energy and Supply Reliability for General Motors. "Our partnership with DTE Energy will help us get closer to achieving our goal of powering all our operations in Michigan with 100 percent clean energy. It helps demonstrate that local and regional industry partnerships are paramount to GM's clean energy future, where renewable sources will account for 100 percent of our global energy footprint by 2050."
The release says DTE, Michigan's largest producer of renewable energy, plans to build or acquire additional clean energy projects and expand MIGreenPower to meet increasing demand. "Knowing that access to more renewable energy is important to our largest corporate and industrial customers, DTE will continue to expand MIGreenPower to help customers meet their sustainability targets," said Trevor F. Lauer, president and COO of DTE Electric. "We appreciate GM’s environmental leadership and are excited that we can partner with them through MIGreenPower to deliver on their clean energy goals."